Eric Bauza, Voice of Bugs Bunny and Daffy Duck, Dies at 46

What changed

Eric Bauza, the voice artist behind Bugs Bunny, Daffy Duck, Porky Pig and other Looney Tunes characters, has died aged 46.

His family said he died suddenly. He also appeared in Coyote vs. Acme and Forgotten Island, and won three Emmys for outstanding voice performance between 2022 and 2025.

Why it matters

Bauza’s work was built around characters that already felt immortal. His achievement was making them sound alive again for a new generation, while carrying forward the legacy of performers such as Mel Blanc.

That reach crossed more than one franchise. He voiced several Looney Tunes characters in Space Jam: A New Legacy and Coyote vs. Acme, played Toad General in The Super Mario Bros. Movie and its sequel, and became part of the machinery that keeps animated comedy recognizable across decades.

Bauza was born in Ontario and was of Filipino descent. As a child, he copied the Looney Tunes voices he loved. In 2021, he said the characters worked across languages and cultures because the comedy was immediately understandable.

Warner Bros. Television Group chairman Channing Dungey said Bauza brought joy and laughter to millions and regarded continuing the Looney Tunes legacy as one of the greatest honors of his life.

A reported cause of death was hypertensive cardiovascular disease, but that detail has not been independently confirmed.